Car Dealerships Safety: Reducing the Frequency and Likelihood of Slips, Trips and Falls

Slips, trips and falls are a leading cause of workplace injuries at car dealership and auto service centers. Eliminating slip, trip and fall exposure is nearly impossible, but reducing the frequency and likelihood of a fall is. In this blog, I’ve outlined considerations you should take at your facility.

Salespeople

Most salespeople are in the showroom for the majority of their workday, where dress suits are appropriate. But when an employee in dress shoes enters the service area, they are at an increased risk of falling on wet or greasy floors. Why are they in the service area? Are they using it for a shortcut? You should prohibit anyone from being in the service area without appropriate nonslip shoes. Shortcuts should not be allowed through hazardous areas without proper protection. When salespeople need to show a customer a car, do they walk out to the remote lots? If so, the potential increases to fall on a parking lot hazard such as litter, leaves, snow/ice accumulation, or potholes and cracks in the pavement. Since porters are more likely to wear shoes appropriate for hazardous walking conditions; one suggestion is to develop a system where porters bring cars to the front of the parking lot for viewing purposes.

Technicians

Technicians walk all day long. Hopefully, you always require nonslip shoes, but if not, that something to consider. Also, can you reduce their exposure by providing mats/rugs at each exit so they can wipe their feet of grease or oil before leaving the shop floor? Can you direct pedestrian traffic away from wash bays where wet floors are more likely to be found?

Porters/Car Wash/Detailers

Porters who wash cars and remove snow have one of the highest slip, trip and fall risks. How are you controlling their slip and fall exposures in the wash bays? Do you have adequate drainage? Can you add safety mats to cut down on standing water? Are their squeegee brooms to remove puddles? Nonslip shoes are a good option but should you offer rubber boots which will also keep the employees’ feet dry? A wet shoe can last for hours and could impact the porter’s ability to work in other areas safely. Do you have a winter snow removal plan that requires winter boots for a snow removal? You can give them extra protection by purchasing slip-on ice trackers that will grip icy areas better than normal winter boots.

Office Staff

Sometimes the only thing that you need to do to prevent office staff slip, trips and falls is a little education. They probably don’t even know what the slip, trip, and fall hazards are when they are walking around the facility. They may not know what safety rules are already in place (such as wearing slip-resistant shoes) and they probably don’t realize that the rules apply to them also.

Of course, with any employee group, a great way to reduce the chances of a slip trip or fall is through diligent housekeeping and proper rugs and mats throughout the facility. For more information on choosing the proper mats and rugs check out this blog by one of our guest bloggers, The Right Mat System Can Help You Avoid Slips-and-Falls.